1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing control method, a printing device, a printing control device and a storage medium storing a program for the printing control method and more particularly to the printing control method to control printing operations based on residual amounts of printing agents, which can be applied to printing devices such as a xerographic copying machine, facsimile, printer or a like, adapted to print, using printing agents such as ink, toner or a like, an object to be printed (hereafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cprinting objectxe2x80x9d) containing a document, image or a like, on a printing medium such as paper, OHP (Overhead Projector) films, and to the printing device to do printing in accordance with the printing control method, the printing control device to implement the printing control method and the storage medium storing the program for the printing control method.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-345400 filed on Dec. 3, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
As printing devices to print, for example, a xerographic copying machine, facsimile, printer or a like are available using printing agents such as ink, toner or a like, a printing object containing a document, image or a like, on a printing medium such as paper, OHP films or a like. Since, in operations of these printing devices, consumables including printing agents, printing medium or a like are consumed every time printing objects containing the document, image or the like on the printing medium are printed, in order to prevent such consumables from running out in a very middle course of printing or in order to use printing agents with minimum wastage, various conventional technologies are disclosed including one adapted to inform an operator of a disabled state of printing and residual amounts of such consumables, another adapted to control printing based on residual amounts of such consumables, or a like.
One example of such technologies is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 4-182180 in which, in a thermal transfer label printer to thermally transfer ink on an ink ribbon to printing paper by driving a thermal head based on contents to be printed, the printing paper and ink ribbon are transported by a transporting amount preset in accordance with a length of a label and with intervals between labels every time labels are issued and whether the issuance of a specified number of labels instructed to be issued is possible or not is judged based on a residual length of the ink ribbon and on transported amounts of the ink ribbon, and if the issuance is impossible, an instruction for prohibiting a start of the issuance of the label is provided or a state that the label cannot be issued is informed to an operator (this being referred in this application to as xe2x80x9cfirst conventional technologyxe2x80x9d).
Another example of conventional technologies is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-58667 which deals with technology of an ink-jet printer to be used for a printed circuit board (PCB) (this being referred in this application to as xe2x80x9csecond conventional technologyxe2x80x9d).
In the disclosed ink-jet printer, after printing data to be supplied from an outside has been stored for a time in a hard disk, the printing data is then converted to raster data and is stored in a frame memory. When an ink tank of a print head is replaced with a new one, an operator inputs an amount of ink existing at a time when the ink tank is replaced with the new one, and the input amount of ink is dealt as a present residual amount of ink Vc and if the ink tank is not replaced with the new one, a residual amount of ink RV is read from the hard disk and the read amount of the ink is dealt as the present residual amount of ink Vc. Then, prior to actual printing operations based on one frame of the raster data, a total amount of ink CP predicted to be consumed to do printing on all PCBs is obtained by multiplying number of coloring picture elements (dots) contained in one frame of the raster data read from the frame memory by an ink amount contained in one drop of the ink jetted and by number of the PCBs on which the printing is to be done and, at a same time, a total amount of ink Cc predicted to be consumed by cleaning related to the printing of all of the PCBs is obtained by multiplying number of times of the cleaning on a printing face of a print head by an amount of ink predicted to be consumed at every time of the cleaning and by the number of the PCBs on which the printing is to be done. Then, a difference xcex94Vc (=Vcxe2x88x92(Cp|Cc)) between the present residual amount of ink Vc and total amount of ink (Cp+Cc) predicted to be consumed at time of present printing is obtained and, if the difference xcex94Vc is positive, a message xe2x80x9cPrinting is enabled.xe2x80x9d is displayed and so long as an instruction for printing is not cancelled, the printing continues to be done and, after the printing is terminated, the above difference xcex94Vc is written in the hard disk as the residual amount of ink RV to be used at a time of next printing and the ink-jet printer is then placed in a wait state for next printing. If the difference xcex94Vc is negative, a message xe2x80x9cPrinting is disabled.xe2x80x9d is displayed and, when a number of pieces of paper on which the printing is done is changed, after a total amount of ink consumed (Cp+Cc) is newly calculated, all processing subsequent to the processing of calculating the above difference xcex94Vc is repeated and if number of printing objects remains unchanged, the printer is placed in the wait state for next printing.
Another example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-157174 dealing with a printing device in which, when a stop of printing operations for execution of a printing job supplied from an outside is predicted, a result of the prediction is displayed and if an operator refers to a displayed prediction result and judges that a factor causing the stop of the printing operations cannot be removed immediately before the execution of the above printing job, the operator provides an instruction to the printer device that a printing job not having the Factor causing the stop of the printing operations, selected out of subsequent printing jobs, that is, a new printing job having a small number of pages to be printed, should be executed preferentially (this being referred to as xe2x80x9cthird conventional technologyxe2x80x9d).
Furthermore, another example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-198474 dealing with a facsimile in which a number of pages of images actually printed during a period from a time immediately before toner runs out (a time in a xe2x80x9ctoner near end statexe2x80x9d) to a time when the toner has run out completely (a time in a xe2x80x9ctoner end statexe2x80x9d) is informed to an operator (this being referred to as xe2x80x9cfourth conventional technologyxe2x80x9d).
In the first conventional technology, since it is a prerequisite that a length of the label remains unchanged and that contents to be printed can be printed on a surface of the label and since the ink ribbon is consumed by the same length as that of the label irrespective of contents to be printed, it is possible to easily judge whether a specified number of labels can be printed or not based on a residual length of the ink ribbon and on a transported amount of the ink ribbon.
However, the first conventional technology cannot be applied to a printing device for printing, in a monochromatic or color format, printing objects containing a document, image or a like each having a variety of contents, on printing media of various sizes, because residual amounts of consumables including printing agents, printing media or a like cannot be calculated by such a simple calculation method as employed in the first conventional technology and therefore the first conventional technology has a problem in that it cannot provide a function of informing the operator of an exact disabled state of printing or residual amounts of consumables such as the printing agents, printing media or the like. Moreover, in the above first conventional technology, if the label cannot be issued, a message xe2x80x9cInk ribbon may run out in the middle course of printing.xe2x80x9d is displayed or a warning sound is produced, however, since concrete information about how many labels cannot be issued is not provided, the operator, once receiving such the message or the warning sound, has to repeat a change of the number of labels to he issued or has to replace a new ink ribbon until the above message disappears or until the above warning sound is stopped. Therefore, in a case where such repetition of the change of the number of labels is necessary, printing procedures are made very troublesome and time required for printing is prolonged. Moreover, in a case where there is provided no information about the number of the labels that are not issued, even if a specified number of the labels instructed to be issued is ten pieces and residual length of the ink ribbon can cover nine pieces of the labels, the ink ribbon needs replacement, thus causing an increase in the running costs.
As described above, in the second conventional technology, after data to be printed, which has been fed from the outside and stored for the time in the hard disk, is converted to the raster data and stored in the frame memory, a total amount of ink (Cp+Cc) predicted to be consumed to do printing this time is calculated based on number of coloring picture elements contained in one frame of the raster data, ink amount contained in one drop of the ink or the like. Therefore, a hard disk, frame memory or a like having a large capacity is required as a storage medium, causing the printing device to be costly and to be increased in size. Moreover, in the second conventional technology, though the message notifying that printing is disabled is displayed, as in the first conventional technology, concrete and detailed information about number of labels or a like is not provided. Because of this, the operator has to repeat changes in the numbers of printing objects to be printed after the above message has been displayed and until the message notifying that printing is enabled is displayed, or the operator, after placing the printing device in the wait state for subsequent printing and replacing its ink tank with a new one, has to do over again procedures from the beginning. Thus, the above printing device has problems in that printing procedures are troublesome, much time is required for printing and running costs are increased accordingly.
Moreover, in the second conventional technology, the operator inputs the ink amount existing when the ink tank of the print head is replaced with the new one, and the ink amount input at this point is used as the present residual amount of ink Vc which is then used for calculation to judge whether the printing is enabled or disabled. Therefore, if the operator should input erroneously the amount of ink existing then or if the ink is not consumed in a manner as calculated due to some reasons, there occurs a discrepancy between the present residual amount of ink Vc obtained by arithmetic operations and a residual amount of ink actually existing in the ink tank, which causes a difficulty in exact judgement as to whether the printing is enabled or not. Therefore, despite a state where printing is disabled, if the message notifying that printing is enabled is displayed and the printing is actually executed, there is a danger that ink runs out in the middle course of printing and that indiscriminate jetting occurs, which causes the PCBs to foul.
Also, in the third conventional technology, when the stop of printing operations for execution of the printing job caused by shortage of a printing medium is predicted, if it is judged, immediately before the execution of the above printing job, that the factor causing the stop of printing operations for execution of the printing job cannot be removed, the new printing job, selected out of subsequent printing jobs, having the small number of pages to be printed should be preferentially executed Thus, since the prediction as to whether printing is stopped or not is made only based on excess or deficiency of the printing medium being not associated with contents of the printing job, the preferential execution of the printing job having the small number of pages to be printed is all that is needed. However, there is a case where printing agents are consumed more for execution of the printing job having the small number of pages to be printed than for execution of a printing job having a large number of pages to be printed and, therefore, if the new printing job selected out of subsequent printing jobs is executed only because it has the small number of pages to be printed, a case occurs where the printing agents run out in a middle of printing, thus resulting in the stop of printing operations.
Furthermore, in the above fourth conventional technology, though the number of pages of the images actually printed during the period from the time immediately before toner runs out (the time in the xe2x80x9ctoner near end statexe2x80x9d) to the time when the toner has run out completely (the time in the xe2x80x9ctoner end statexe2x80x9d, is informed after printing is terminated, since it is impossible to know, in advance, the number of pages of the images that can be printed during the period from the time immediately before toner runs out to the time when the toner has run out completely, informed number of pages of the images is nothing but a guide even when a same kind of image is printed, and when a different kind of image is printed, the informed number of pages cannot be even the guide and, therefore, the fourth conventional technology is not effective in reducing running costs of the printing agents.
Since the above first to fourth conventional technologies are related to printing devices for printing objects such as monochromatic documents or images, it is natural that no consideration is provided to overcome inconveniences in printing devices to print objects such as color documents or images. That is, a color of the printing agent required for monochromatic printing is black (B) only, while colors of the printing agent required for color printing include three types of colors, cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) or four types of colors, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (B). Out of these printing agents, at least, the cyan, magenta and yellow printing agents are placed in tanks or cartridges formed integrally with the printing device. Therefore, running costs cannot be efficiently reduced by judging whether printing is enabled or disabled merely based on total amount of ink to be consumed or on number of pages to be printed. It is necessary to consider contents of documents or images to be printed which consume printing agents, that is, consideration is necessary as to whether printing objects to be printed consume much cyan or magenta color printing agent or whether it consumes mainly yellow color printing agents, or which color printing agent is most consumed to do printing of the printing object and so on.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing control method capable of informing, in a short time, an operator of whether printing is enabled or disabled or of an exact residual amount of printing agents, in response to a simple operation of the operator, even when printing objects including a variety of monochromatic or color documents or images are to be printed and capable of reducing efficiently running costs of printing agents and providing a printing device and a printing control device configured so as to be cost-effective and small-sized, which are operated in accordance with the above printing control method and a storage medium storing a program for the printing control method.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control method including:
a first step of creating, based on a printing object containing a document and/or an image, printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image and of calculating an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing on a printing medium based on the printing data; and
a second step of doing printing on the printing medium based on the printing data when a measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds printing agents each having a different color is larger than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing and of providing, if the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is smaller than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing, a notification about this condition.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein, in the second step described above, after having provided the notification that the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is smaller than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing, the printing data is discarded.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control method including:
a first step of creating, based on a printing object containing a document and/or an image, printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image and of calculating an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing on a printing medium based on the printing data;
a second step of providing a notification about a measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and a notification about an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing, a notification prompting for an instruction to perform either of printing or abortion of printing, a notification about whether printing based on the printing data is possible or not and a notification about whether any of the two or more kinds of printing agents is not sufficient for printing; and
a third step of doing printing on the printing medium based on the printing data, when an instruction for printing is provided in response to the notification, irrespective of the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and of discarding the printing data and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control method including:
a first step of sequentially creating, based on two or more kinds of printing objects each containing a document or an image, two or more pieces of printing data composed of character printing commands each providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and graphics drawing commands each providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image and of sequentially calculating an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of tale two or more kinds of printing objects on a printing medium based on the two or more pieces of printing data;
a second step of providing a notification about an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with a predetermined printing order and a notification about a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, the residual amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with the predetermined printing order, the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from a measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, a notification prompting for an instruction to perform any one of printing, abortion of printing and scheduling for changing printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, a notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and a notification about whether there is any printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color or not; and
a third step of doing printing, when an instruction to perform printing is provided in response to the notification, on the printing medium based on printing data about a printing object, which is included in the two or more kinds of printing objects, being able to be printed using the measures residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, of discarding, when an instruction to abort the printing is provided in response to the notification, the printing data about the two or more kinds of printing objects and data about the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, of changing printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects, when an instruction to perform scheduling processing is provided in response to the notification, in accordance with the predetermined algorithm, and of notifying the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with changed printing order and a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, the residual amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with changed printing order, the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, and of providing notification prompting for instruction to perform any one of printing, abortion of the printing and the scheduling processing, notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and notification about whether there is any kind of printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color or not.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein, after having done the printing, if there is left any printing object that has not yet been printed, notification prompting for instruction to replace tanks or cartridges containing the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is provided and when, in response to the instruction, the tanks or cartridges are replaced, the second step and onward is repeated.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein, in the second step described above, if the printing based on the printing data created from any of the two or more kinds of printing objects is impossible by using the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, instead of the notification or together with the notification, a notification prompting for replacing the tanks or cartridges containing the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is provided.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the predetermined algorithm includes a first process of selecting combined sets composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects in various combinations, of calculating amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, of obtaining a difference between a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and a sum of the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed and, if any combination out of the combinations meets conditions for being printed that a sum of the difference for each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is minimum and the difference for each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is more than 0 (zero), using the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and a second process of selecting, if any combination selected out of all combinations composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects does not meet the conditions, combined sets composed of printing objects the number of the kinds of which is smaller by one than that of the two or more kinds of printing objects, of calculating the sum of an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, of obtaining a difference between a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and the sum of an amount of each of the two or more kinds printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed for each of the combinations, and if any combination out of these combinations that can meet the conditions exists, of using printing order in which a high priority is assigned to the combination and a low priority is assigned to a printing object not contained in the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and wherein, if there is no combination that can meet the conditions out of all combinations prepared by the second step, combined sets composed of printing objects the number of the kinds of which is further decreased by one are selected and same procedures that are taken in the second step are repeated.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing device including:
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of a printing object on a printing medium based on printing data in synchronization with a printing data creating section, which is mounted in a control unit, adapted to create, based on the printing object containing a document and/or an image, the printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a printing section to do printing on the printing medium based on the printing data by using the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing; and
a control section to control the printing section so as to do printing based on the printing data if a result of comparison by the consumed amount comparing section shows that the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is not less than an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed and to provide, if the result of comparison by the consumed amount comparing section shows that the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is less than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, a notification about the comparison result.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section discards the printing data after having provided the notification about the comparison results.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing device including:
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to he consumed to do printing of a printing object on a printing medium based on printing data in synchronization with a printing data creating section, which is mounted in a control unit, adapted to create, based on the printing object containing a document and/or an image, the printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a printing section to do printing on the printing medium based on the printing data by using the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing; and
a control section to provide a notification about a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, a notification about an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing, a notification prompting for an instruction to perform either of printing or abortion of printing, a notification about whether printing based on the printing data is possible or not based on the result of comparison by the consumed amount comparing section, a notification about whether any of the two or more kinds of printing agents is not sufficient for printing, to control, if the instruction to perform printing is provided in response to the notification, the printing section so as to do printing on the printing medium based on the printing data, irrespective of the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, and to discard the printing data and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, if the instruction to abort printing is provided in response to the notification.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing device including:
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of two or more kinds of printing objects on a printing medium based on two or more pieces of printing data in synchronization with a printing data creating section, which is mounted in a control unit, adapted to create, based on the two or more kinds of printing objects each containing a document and/or an image, sequentially the two or more pieces of printing data composed of character printing commands each providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and graphics drawing commands each providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a printing section to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects on the printing medium based on the two or more pieces of printing data by using the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects; and
a control section to provide a notification about the amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with predetermined printing order and a notification about a residual amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, the amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with predetermined printing order, the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from a measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, to provide a notification prompting for an instruction to perform any one of printing, abortion of printing and scheduling for changing printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, a notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and a notification about whether there is any kind of printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents or not, to do printing, when the instruction to perform printing is provided in response to the notification, on the printing medium based on printing data on the printing objects, which is included in the two or more kinds of printing objects, being able to be printed using the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, to discard, when the instruction to abort the printing is provided in response to the notification, the printing data on the two or more kinds of printing objects and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, to change printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects, when the instruction to perform scheduling processing is provided in response to the notification, in accordance with the predetermined algorithm, to notify the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with changed printing order and a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, the residual amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with the changed printing order, the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, and to provide notification prompting for an instruction to perform any one of printing, abortion of the printing and the scheduling processing, notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and notification about whether there is any printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents or not.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section, if there is any printing object that has not been printed even after printing processing has been completed, provides a notification prompting for replacing tanks or cartridges containing two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and, when the tanks or cartridges are replaced, the processing is continued.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section, if the printing based on the printing data created from any of the two or more kinds of printing objects is impossible by using the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, instead of the notification or together with the notification, provides the notification prompting for replacing the tanks or cartridges containing the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the predetermined algorithm includes a first process of selecting combined sets composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects in various combinations, calculating an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, obtaining a difference between a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and a sum of the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents predicted to be consumed and, if any combination out of the combinations meets conditions for being printed that a sum of the difference for each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is minimum and the difference for each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is more than 0 (zero), using the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and a second process of selecting, if any combination selected from all combinations composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects does not meet the conditions, combined sets composed of printing objects the number of the kinds of which is smaller by one than that of the two or more kinds of printing objects, of calculating a sum of an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, obtaining a difference between a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and the sum of an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed for each of the combinations and, if any combination out of these combinations that can meet the conditions exists, using printing order in which a high priority is assigned to the combination and a low priority is assigned to a printing object not contained in the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and wherein, if there is no combination that can meet the conditions out of all combinations obtained by the second process, combined sets composed of printing objects the number of kinds of which is further decreased by one are selected and procedures taken in the second process are repeated.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control device including:
a printing data creating section to create, based on a printing object containing a document and/or an image, printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate, in synchronization with the printing data creating section, an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the printing object on a printing medium based on printing data;
a printing section to do printing of the printing object on the printing medium based on the printing data by using two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed; and
a control section to control the printing section so as to do printing based on the printing data if a result of comparison by the consumed amount comparing section shows that the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is not less than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed and to provide a notification, if the result of comparison by the consumed amount comparing section shows that the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is less than the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, about the comparison result.
In the foregoing, it is preferable that the control section discards the printing data after providing the notification about the comparison results.
According to an eight aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control device including:
a printing data creating section to create, based on a printing object containing a document and/or an image, printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up the document and/or a graphic drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate, in synchronization with the printing data creating section, an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the printing object on a printing medium based on printing data;
a printing section to do printing of the printing object on the printing medium based on the printing data by using the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed; and
a control section to provide a notification about the residual amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, a notification about the amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, a notification prompting for the instruction to perform either of printing or abortion of printing, a notification about whether printing based on the printing data is possible or not based on the result of comparison of the consumed amount comparing section, a notification about whether any of the two or more kinds of printing agents is not sufficient for printing, and to control, if the instruction to perform printing is provided in response to the notification, the printing section so as to do printing on the printing medium based on the printing data, irrespective of the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, and to discard the printing data and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, if the instruction to abort printing is provided in response to the notification.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing control device including:
a printing data creating section to create, based on the two or more kinds of printing objects each containing a document and/or an image, sequentially the two or more pieces of printing data composed of character printing commands each providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up document and graphics drawing commands each providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up the image;
a consumed amount calculating section to calculate, in synchronization with the printing data creating section, an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of two or more kinds of printing objects on a printing medium based on two or more pieces of printing;
a printing section to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects on the printing medium based on the two or more pieces of printing data by using the two or more kinds or printing agents each having the different color;
a residual amount measuring section to measure a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color existing in the printing section;
a consumed amount comparing section to compare the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color with an amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects; and
a control section to provide a notification about the amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with a predetermined printing order and a notification about a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with the predetermined printing order, the amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, to provide a notification prompting for an instruction to perform any one of printing, abortion of printing and scheduling for changing printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, a notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and a notification about whether there is any printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents or not, to do printing, when the instruction to perform printing is provided in response to the notification, on the printing medium based on printing data about the two or more kinds of printing objects being able to be printed using the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, to discard, when the instruction to abort the printing is provided in response to the notification, the printing data on the two or more kinds of printing objects and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, to charge printing order for the two or more kinds of printing objects, when the instruction to perform scheduling processing is provided in response to the notification, in accordance with the predetermined algorithm, to notify the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects in accordance with changed printing order and the residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color being left after having done printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, the residual amount of which is obtained by sequentially subtracting, in accordance with the changed printing order, the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicated to be consumed to do printing of each of the two or more kinds of printing objects, from the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, and to provide the notification prompting for the instruction to perform any one of the printing, the abortion of the printing and the scheduling processing, the notification about whether printing of all of the two or more kinds of printing objects is possible or not and the notification about whether there is any printing object that is unable to be printed due to shortage of any one of the two or more kinds of printing agents or not.
In the foregoing, it is preferable that the control section, if there is any printing object that has not been printed even after the printing processing has been completed, provides a notification prompting for replacing tanks or cartridges containing the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and when the tanks or cartridges are replaced, the processing is continued.
Also, it is preferable that the control section, if the printing based on the printing data created from any of the two or more kinds of printing objects is impossible by using the measured residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color, instead of the notification or together with the notification, provides the notification prompting for replacing the tanks or cartridges containing the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color.
Also, it is preferable that the predetermined algorithm includes a first process of selecting combined sets composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects in various combinations, calculating the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, obtaining the difference between the residual amount of each of the printing agents each having the different color and a sum of the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents predicted to be consumed and, if any combination out of the combinations meets conditions for being printed that a sum of the difference for each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color is minimum and the difference for each of the printing agents each having the different color is more than 0 (zero), using the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and a second process of selecting, if any combination selected from all combinations composed of the two or more kinds of printing objects does not meet the conditions, combined sets composed of printing objects a number of kinds of which is smaller by one than that of the two or more kinds of printing objects, of calculating the sum of an amount of each of the two or more printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed, of obtaining the difference between a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having the different color and the sum of an amount of each of the printing agents each having the different color predicted to be consumed for each of the combinations, and if any combination out of these combinations that can meet the conditions exists, of using printing order in which a high priority is assigned to the combination and a low priority is assigned to a printing object not contained in the combination as printing order that should be employed after being scheduled, and wherein, if there is no combination that can meet the conditions out of all combinations obtained by the second process, combined sets composed of printing objects the number of kinds of which is further decreased by one are selected and same procedures that are taken in the second process are repeated.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium storing a printing control program in a computer to implement functions stated above.
With the above configuration, since printing data composed of a character printing command, a graphics drawing command or a like is created based on a printing object containing a document or an image and an amount of each of printing agents such as ink predicted to be consumed to do printing of two or more kinds of printing objects on a printing medium is calculated based on the created printing data, and unlike the second conventional technology described above, a storage medium such as a hard disk or a frame memory or a like having a large capacity is not required, thus allowing the printing device to be cost-effective and small-sized, and also unlike the second conventional technology, a process of storing the printing data for a time in a hard disk, converting the printing data to raster data and storing the converted raster data in a frame memory and then reading the raster data to calculate all the amounts of the printing agents is not required, thus allowing time required for printing to be shortened.
Also, unlike the second conventional technology, the residual amount of the ink is obtained by actual measurement, not by arithmetic operation and therefore no discrepancy in the residual amount exists between the residual amount predicted to be left based on the arithmetic operation and the residual amount being actually left. As a result, an exact judgement as to whether printing is possible or not can be made and an inconvenience event in which a printing medium is fouled caused by a trouble that the ink runs out in the middle course of printing can be prevented.
Moreover, after information that a residual amount of each of two or more printing agents is smaller than an amount of each of two or more printing agents predicted to be consumed is given to the operator, since the printing data is discarded to prevent the printing data being left in a meaningless state, the operator can obtain high convenience.
Furthermore, an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color and a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color are informed, the operator can obtain exact information about an amount of each of the printing agents predicted to be consumed for each color and a residual amount of each of the printing agents for each color. This enables the operator to perform subsequent processing promptly and time required for printing to be shortened, printing agents to be used efficiently and running costs to be reduced accordingly.
With another configuration as above, a notification prompting for an instruction to perform either of printing or abortion of the printing is provided and information is given as to whether printing is possible or not and as to whether a residual amount of each of the printing agents is sufficient or not, and when an instruction for performing the printing is provided in response to the information, the printing on a printing medium is done based on printing data irrespective of a residual amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color and when an instruction for aborting the printing is provided, since printing data and data on the amount of each of the two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color have been discarded, the operator can abort the printing even if there is no problem in the residual amount of the printing agent and the operator can do printing even if there is a problem in the residual amount of the printing agent, which makes the application of the printing device wider.
Also, with still another configuration as above, since scheduling for printing order is performed based on an amount of each of printing agents predicted to be consumed to do printing of printing objects and a residual amount of each of printing agent being actually left, printing agents can be used more efficiently compared with a case where scheduling is made without considering contents of the printing object as in the case of the third conventional technology, which allows a reduction of running costs and printing of more printing objects.
With still more another configuration as above, if any printing object that has not been printed is left, a notification prompting for an instruction to replace tanks or cartridges containing two or more printing agents each having a different color is provided and, when the tanks or cartridges are replaced, since the previous processing is repeated to do printing of the printing object that had not been printed, the more the number or kind of printing objects that the operator wants to print is, the more efficiently the ink can be used and the more the running costs can be reduced. Therefore, even in a case where printing objects containing a document, image or a like having various contents in a monochromatic or color format are printed, the operator can obtain exact information about possibility of printing, concrete residual amounts of the printing agents by a simple operation and within a short time.